Reading Record 2024 - The Bear and Badger

poprock

Sharing this from my inbox today because I think you’d like it Davy.

https://www.glasgowprintstudio.co.uk/email/email_exhib/index.html

davyK

I say. Very nice. Those images resonate with what was in my head reading Crow.

Interesting to see the link to Francis Bacon. Have a liking for his work.

poprock

The dark and the raw. Red in tooth and claw. All that good stuff.

davyK

Indeed. There's a Bacon in the Ulster Museum - went to see it last Summer when I learnt about that. One of his minor works (Head II , 1949) but still very striking - it jumps off the wall in amongst the other works even though it's very dark and muted.

This doesn't do it justice. There was an exhibition in London last year which I really should have gone to. The triptychs would have been at that. Probably a screaming Pope too.

poprock

I’m a privileged fuck who has seen many Bacons. They really do have an effect.

davyK

Bacon in Moscow by James Birch is the tale of the authors' (successful) attempts at putting on a Bacon retrospective exhibition in late 80's Moscow.

Highly entertaining romp as the author straddles the complexities of USSR bureaucracy (including the KGB) and a 79 year old Bacon, his gallery and the British Art Council while trying to survive the vodka and champagne fuelled endless charm offensives on both sides. Is a very brisk read - and I learned that the picture above (Head II) that is in the Ulster Museum's art gallery in Belfast was included in the Moscow show.

davyK

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Anne Jacobson is an extremely well researched description of what would likely happen if a nuclear exchange were triggered by an attack on the US by North Korea in 2024. It references as much unclassified info as is available and is also the result of many interviews with people who have been involved in the grim business of nuclear defence and attack.

Very well written , easy to read , and informative but ultimately deeply disturbing, chilling and depressing.

EvilRedEye

davyK wrote:

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Anne Jacobson is an extremely well researched description of what would likely happen if a nuclear exchange were triggered by an attack on the US by North Korea in 2024. It references as much unclassified info as is available and is also the result of many interviews of people who have been involved in the grim business of nuclear defence and attack.

Very well written , easy to read , and informative but ultimately deeply disturbing, chilling and depressing.

Is it a bit like an update-to-date Threads in book form? My interest in this was piqued when it was announced Denis Villeneuve had snapped up the movie rights.

davyK

EvilRedEye wrote:

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Anne Jacobson is an extremely well researched description of what would likely happen if a nuclear exchange were triggered by an attack on the US by North Korea in 2024. It references as much unclassified info as is available and is also the result of many interviews of people who have been involved in the grim business of nuclear defence and attack. Very well written , easy to read , and informative but ultimately deeply disturbing, chilling and depressing.

Is it a bit like an update-to-date Threads in book form? My interest in this was piqued when it was announced Denis Villeneuve had snapped up the movie rights.

It's concentrated more on behind the scenes on the US military side - detailed processes, land, air and sea arsenals, code books etc. But it doesn't spare human impact detail (there's a box out on radiation sickness for example). It doesn't talk much about FEMA and civilian help as let's face it - you've had it. Made very clear in this. Very grim. What is very alarming is the concept of a satellite armed with a small nuke to create a massive EMP in low orbit which could wipe out the entire US power grid.

davyK

The scenario does add some filmable drama - it is an imaginary scenario backed with a high level of research. The film version of this would be sobering - and maybe necessary. Not sure the US would have the stomach for it.

The book reckons a period of 25,000 years for recovery from the radiation. But the scenario includes hits on nuclear power stations which results in areas maybe poisoned for longer than that - maybe much longer. And the ozone layer would be fucked too. It doesn't give any detail on whether that could recover or not.

LivDiv

Alan Partridge: Big Beacon
Yeah not as good as Nomad which wasn't as good as I, Partridge. Still fairly enjoyable though with a few genuine laughs. I liked how he came about the idea of doing the lighthouse. Nomad did a fair bit of rehashing Alpha Papa and this goes furhter with rehashing This TIme, all of which feels a bit cheap at times.

As Good As it Gets, Romesh Ranganathan

I like Romesh so this was an easy 50p charity shop pick up. Unfortunately the book has a very much "shit it out for the xmas market" vibe to it. Its not that it wasn't an enjoyable read but felt a very lightweight collection of Rom's musings that he couldn't quite concentrate into a snappy stand up routine. I'd have been disappointed if I'd spent the £20 cover price on it but at that price reading it isn't the purpose of this type of book, its what you buy yer dad for xmas because he laughed at a League of Their Own gag once, who will then put it in a charity shop unread so I can buy it, and back to the charity shop it will be going.

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